Hypericum plant named ‘Esm Pin’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hypericum  plant named ‘Esm Pin’, characterized by its compact, upright and uniform plant habit; vigorous growth habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; uniform and high density of fruits; large light red-colored fruits; and tolerant to wind and rain.

Botanical designation: Hypericum androsaemum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Esm Pin’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum, botanically known as Hypericum androsaemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Esm Pin’.

The new Hypericum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The objective of the breeding program is to create new pot-type Hypericum cultivars with numerous attractive fruits.

The new Hypericum originated from a cross-pollination in February, 2000 in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador of a proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum identified as code designation Line 58, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with a proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum identified as code designation Line 20, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hypericum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative cuttings in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, since August, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Hypericum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Esm Pin have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Esm Pin’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Esm Pin’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and uniform plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit; uniform and high density         of fruits.     -   4. Large light red-colored fruits.     -   5. Tolerant to wind and rain.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum are shorter than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum are more freely flowering than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Fruits of plants of the new Hypericum are narrower than         fruits of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum are shorter than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Fruits of plants of the new Hypericum are narrower than         fruits of plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum and the male parent selection         differ in fruit color as plants of the male parent selection         have burgundy-colored fruits.

Plants of the new Hypericum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Bosapin, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,933. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new Hypericum differed from plants of the cultivar Bosapin in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum were shorter and had shorter         internodes than plants of the cultivar Bosapin.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum were more freely branching than         plants of the cultivar Bosapin.     -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum flowered earlier than plants of         the cultivar Bosapin.     -   4. Plants of the new Hypericum had smaller fruits than plants of         the cultivar Bosapin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Hypericum. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical stem of ‘Esm Pin’ with mature fruits.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photograph and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions in an outdoor nursery in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador for about 18 months. During production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 30° C., night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to averaged 12° C. and light levels ranged from 1,000 to 1,150 foot-candles.

-   Botanical description: Hypericum androsaemum cultivar Esm Pin. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum             androsaemum identified as code designation Line 58, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum             androsaemum identified as code designation Line 20, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About seven to ten days at 22° C. to             30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four to five             weeks at 22° C. to 30° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous; color, 200B.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Compact, upright and uniform plant habit. Freely             branching with about ten flowering stems developing per             plant per year; dense and bushy plant form; vigorous growth             habit. Typically grown as a pot-type Hypericum.         -   Plant height.—About 63 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 34 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 60 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Internode length: About 4.8 cm. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146D overlain with             166B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 8 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: Close to 143A.             Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 148B. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,             close to 144C. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close             to 138B; venation, 147D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Bright yellow-colored single             flowers arranged in terminal compound umbels; freely             flowering with about nine flowers per umbel. Flowers not             persistent. Flowers face mostly upright.         -   Fragrance.—Moderate.         -   Natural flowering season.—Year-round in Ecuador.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two to four days on the             plant.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm.             Shape: Globose. Color: 14A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 11 cm. Diameter: About 15             cm.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2.6 cm. Depth (height): About 1.2             cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl.             Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape: Oval. Apex:             Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; papery. Aspect: Incurved;             concave. Color: When opening, upper surface: 13A. When             opening, lower surface: 12A. Fully opened, upper surface:             14A; color becoming lighter than 14A with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: 13B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl; three             larger than the other two. Length: About 1.1 cm to 1.4 cm.             Width: About 6 mm to 8 mm. Shape: Ovate to elliptic. Apex:             Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Aspect: Recurved. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to 183A. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 183B. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 143A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 138C.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Strong. Length: About 6.5 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 166B.         -   Pedicels.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 1.3 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Aspect: About 51° from the stem axis.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 178A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:             About 100. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther length: About             1 mm. Anther color: Close to 13A. Pollen amount: Abundant.             Pollen color: Close to 163B. Pistils: Quantity per flower:             Single pistil with three stigmas. Pistil length: About 1 cm.             Stigma shape: Circular. Stigma color: Close to 178A. Style             length: About 4 mm. Style color: Close to 2B. Ovary color:             Close to 1B.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape:             Ovate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 46B to             46C; towards the base, 11C.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 0.1 mm. Diameter: About 0.03 mm. Color:             Close to 200C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hypericum have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hypericum. -   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been     observed to tolerate wind, rain and temperatures ranging from about     0° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Hypericum plant named ‘Esm Pin’ as illustrated and described. 